10TH ANNIVERSARY: Rice-Eccles Stadium is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season. Both the Rice and Eccles families will be honored for their contributions during a halftime ceremony, which will include a video presentation. A postgame fireworks show also is planned.

CONSISTENT STOPS: After missing more than 20 tackles in last year's loss to UNLV, Utah's defense is determined not to let it happen again. It's all about consistency. On average, the Utes have fewer than five tackling miscues per game.

"We want to go into every game with the same determination and fight," said defensive end Paul Kruger, who led Utah with nine tackles last weekend at Michigan.

BEFORE THE GAME: Fans are encouraged to greet the team at the "Ute Walk," which begins 2 1/2 hours before the game. The route begins at the Smith Center on Guardsman Way and concludes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The "Utah Village" is an interactive pregame hospitality area for fans and corporate sponsors on the grass north of the Eccles Tennis Center.

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E-mail: dirk@desnews.com